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Topic: PT 486 Oct-Nov 1944 |
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JEno
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Oct 22, 2019 - 2:14pm
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Very Interesting. As a related aside, Project Aphrodite was also a Navy project involving drones, in that case PB4Y' and B-17's filled with explosives, taken off by two pilots who were to bail out after arming the aircraft. The aircraft was then flown by a "control ship", anther aircraft, and dived into the target,, Nazi sub pens. Joseph Kennedy and his co-pilot, whose name escapes me, died on one of the missions when the aircraft blew up, due to a faulty arming circuit, before they could bail out. I believe the AAF was working on a similar project. neither successfully destroyed their targets.
The is a book, named after the project, available.
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Andy Small
MASTER
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Posted on: Nov 10, 2023 - 7:11am
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Some more info on the Project Stinger. First photo shows PT-564 Hellcat drone control passing by the AK-22 drone vessel during tests off New York, 20 October 1944. The second photo show the two bow mounted TV cameras (one being worked on) aboard AK-22. One of these types of camera was tested aboard PT140 drone vessel. Still trying to track down a photo.
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Joe Reese
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Nov 10, 2023 - 6:10pm
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Hi Andy,
I'm afraid I don't have the ability to visit the archives, but it looks like there's some info on Stinger that hasn't been digitized yet. Possibly someone else has it, or has access to it?
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6080385
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Joe Reese
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Nov 10, 2023 - 6:24pm
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Also, there is a very short snippet about JAVAMAN (formerly CAMPBELL) in vol. 1 of the OSS War Report, between pages 229 and 230 of the report (249 and 250 of the pdf).
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/24459683
There is a very short mention on p 116 of the report, but it only says the war ended before it could be used in the Pacific. Likewise, a mention in vol 2, nearly identical, though I forget the page.
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Andy Small
MASTER
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Posted on: Nov 11, 2023 - 12:34pm
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Joe,
I'm digitizing all the info I have and am about 1/2 way through (180 pages so far). Title is Stinger Project - Stinger Baker: PT Boat Surface Assault Drone Program of 1944 and starts with Admiral King's authorization on 14 January 1944.
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Andy Small
MASTER
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Posted on: Nov 13, 2023 - 11:49am
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Here's a photo of the Stinger George project (DE-247) USS Stanton test drone vessel from October 1944. You can make out the TV Cameras just about the bridge. The LVT and LCVP programs were Stinger Able and Dog respectively and along with the X Craft, they were drones/missiles for a sep beach clearance project.
The explosives carried by the Stinger Baker PTs were 17 tons, Stinger George DEs 1200 tons and the Stinger Charlie AKs 8000 tons. The PTs and DEs had pressure fuzes for the main charge that would be activated by the scuttle. AK was just a simple remote detonation in the port.
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Andy Small
MASTER
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Posted on: Nov 13, 2023 - 11:52am
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A great deal of Stinger Project info is located in RG 38, Entry A1 329, New Development Subj File 1942-46, Boxes 1 to 15 at NARA.
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